7 Nov 2014 Dr. Eeva Salminen visited FMU

Dr. Eeva Salminen visited FMU. She is a Research Professor of Health Risks and Radon Safety at Finland’s Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. She added Fukushima to her travel itinerary around Japan at the request of a long-time friend and colleague. FMU invited her to speak about the Chernobyl nuclear accident and its impact on Finland.

Part of Finland experienced fallout of radioactivity just after the Chernobyl accident. The level of radioactivity in Finland was higher than that in Fukushima after our earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis. Finish authorities, like FMU, deal rationally with personal concerns by maintaining open lines of communication with the public. Even today, background radiation is continuously measured and displayed by monitoring posts around Finland, just as it is done in Fukushima.

Dr. Salmonen, as a young mother at the time of the Chernobyl accident, acknowledged her initial anxiety about children’s safety. However, she does not anticipate any increase in thyroid cancers in Fukushima as a result of the Fukushima Daiichi accident.